Iran 1979-80 PODs

OK, these qns just arose after watchin GUESTS OF THE AYATOLLAH on SBS TV (Part 3)
-WI Carter decided to hand over the Shah instead of authorising EAGLE CLAW ?
-WI there'd been some secular leader of similarity popularity to Khomeini instead of excluisvely the Ayatollah himself ?
-WI Desert 1 hadn't been so exposed to unexpected trafic, even in the midst of such an isolated location ?
-WI Col. Beckwith had still decided to proceed with the mission even after discovering only 5 choppers were avaialble at Desert 1 ?
-WI there had been violent reprisals against the hostages in the aftermath of EAGLE CLAW's failure ?
 

MacCaulay

Banned
OK, these qns just arose after watchin GUESTS OF THE AYATOLLAH on SBS TV (Part 3)
-WI Carter decided to hand over the Shah instead of authorising EAGLE CLAW ?
-WI there'd been some secular leader of similarity popularity to Khomeini instead of excluisvely the Ayatollah himself ?
-WI Desert 1 hadn't been so exposed to unexpected trafic, even in the midst of such an isolated location ?
-WI Col. Beckwith had still decided to proceed with the mission even after discovering only 5 choppers were avaialble at Desert 1 ?
-WI there had been violent reprisals against the hostages in the aftermath of EAGLE CLAW's failure ?

I don't think that Carter was the kind of person who would've sold someone out, even for American citizens. Say what you will about his presidency, I've yet to meet an American (who's not an idiot or Rush Limbaugh-esque crazy) who doesn't have respect for his morals.

If the Iranians had killed one of the hostages and it got out, believe me that there would've been the wrath of god coming down on their heads. And the last thing the needed at that moment was more American trouble.
It sounds jingoistic to say it (and I'm not one to say crap like that), but once they started killing hostages, they would've probably put Honey Badger (the second hostage rescue plan) into motion and started getting ready to wail the hell out of any Iranian near any American ship in the Gulf.
I could see the US Navy going out of it's way to find Iranian ships and planes to nail.

A VERY good book to read about all this is The Guts To Try. I forget who it was written by, but he was the on-scene commander at Desert 1. I believe his last name was Ryan. I mailed my copy off to my buddy who's stationed up at Minot, so I don't even have mine anymore.
 
Well, the "Credible Sport" plan would have been cool.
One other potential thread...what if the Shah was working on the Bomb? Iran did have a small nuclear research program, with reactors. Further, the Iranians were reputed to have acquired Uranium and/or Plutonium from the US. (These are rumors, but still...)
 
A VERY good book to read about all this is The Guts To Try. I forget who it was written by, but he was the on-scene commander at Desert 1. I believe his last name was Ryan. I mailed my copy off to my buddy who's stationed up at Minot, so I don't even have mine anymore.

Yeah mate, I've read THE GUTS TO TRY by James Kyle (Col., USAF- Retd), he was the USAF contingent CO for EAGLE CLAW- a very good account from my recollection- pity they didn't interview him in the doco...

btw, as HONEY BADGER- there was, during the rehearsals in the desert, actually a crash with 1 of the new rocket-fitted MC130s they were gonna use for the mission- so the USAF would've needed to iron out such flaw before they went into action...
 
Top